MFL would like to welcome Tom Belt to our faculty.  As the new Coordinator for Cherokee language revitalization, he will be teaching Cherokee language classes on campus and working alongside linguist Hartwell Francis with language revitalization efforts.  Originally from Oklahoma, Tom has been living in Cherokee for the past 15 years.  Since Cherokee was the language spoken in the home where he grew up, Tom didn't speak much English until he went to elementary school.  After attending the universities of Oklahoma and Colorado, Tom came east, and taught at Cherokee Elementary School for seven years.  The author of a series of Cherokee language textbooks for elementary school students, Tom has recently been an Elder-in-Residence at WCU and has taught Cherokee as a visiting instructor.     

A firm believer that the Cherokee language is key to Cherokee culture and identity, Tom says that the language provides a unique way of interpreting the world, and must be kept alive. His hope is to one day be able to walk into a grocery store and hear children speaking nothing but Cherokee.  Tom sees language revitalization efforts catching on among the members of the Eastern Band, and is anxious to work to make his hopes a reality.